Chapter 10
The Great Treaty and The Great Horned Owl
Frieda, Shade and Rachel continued to fly further toward the very bottom of Tree Haven, until they reached to what appeared to be an underground chamber. It had green smoothly polished walls, and it was filled with a mysterious lifting fog and a small clear body of water beneath two long roots hanging from the center of the ceiling.
This particular chamber made the Goldwing gasp in amazement, as she had never actually seen such an incredible chamber like this one. "Whoa," she breathed.
"Roost there," Frieda instructed as she directed the two teens to the lower middle root.
As they roosted, Shade glanced around the chamber in confusion. "I don't understand. Where are we?" he asked his elder as his voice bounced throughout the room.
"This room is called the Echo Chamber," Frieda replied as her voice also echoed.
"Echo Chamber?" Rachel asked, as her voice doubled as well.
She nodded. "That's right, Rachel. This room holds all of our colony's history, sung by Silverwings long dead. The walls of the chamber are polished so smoothly, they will echo here forever."
"Amazing," Rachel exclaimed. She and her colony have never had an echo chamber before and now she was starting to wish they had. Then her eyes lit up in realization and she turned to Frieda, "So that's why you insisted that I come here with you and Shade, to learn your colony's history!"
Frieda chuckled, "More than that, my dear."
Suddenly Shade and Rachel started to hear whispering. With their ears twitching, the two friends tried to find the source of the whispering.
"What's that sound?" Shade asked curiously.
"You can hear it?" Frieda looked at him with interest.
Shade added, "Well… kind of. I-t's like… like someone's whispering."
The elder smiled, while placing her clawed index finger on her chin in thought and said, "Someone from hundreds, even thousands of migrations ago."
"I-I hear it too," Rachel added, while trying to figure out who was doing all the whispering. "Though I don't know why. This has never happened to me before."
"What are they saying?" Shade asked Frieda.
"You two tell me," She instructed the teens. "Simply concentrate and listen. Not everyone has the gift."
Shade and Rachel both did as she instructed. As they closed their eyes, they tried their best to concentrate, only to find it difficult to hear, especially when the echoes of past Silverwings were all whispering simultaneously.
"I hear so many voices. They're all talking at once," Shade said, trying to focus.
"Pick one." Frieda suggested.
Shade and Rachel concentrated once more, and within moments, they managed to pick one voice. As they listened, Rachel suddenly fell into a trance.
(The Great Treaty Flashback)
Through the foggy mist and such incredibly exotic plants and trees, the echoed voices of past Silverwings began telling the historic tale of the Great Treaty, in unison. "Many seasons past, at the dawning of the ages, the birds and the beasts existed without order."
There were many creatures roaming around through the Northern forest that have long gone since passed.
While a bird was perching on the branch of a nearby tree and two bats were roosting in another tree, a cougar was hunting a small critter. Then as the past Silverwings proceeded with their tale, the scene of the hunting cougar began to change.
"No one knew the hunters from the hunted." The past Silverwings spoke gravely as another cougar was pecked to death by three giant cranes. Then the cranes turned to their right and saw a deer stop at a stream for a drink.
"All creatures struggle for their place in a world without boundaries or laws." as the past Silverwings further explained, the deer was suddenly swallowed whole by a massive wolf in one bone-crunching bite. The wolf was then stomped on by a giant grizzly bear, and the grizzly was clawed to death by another exotic bird.
After the brutal cycle of nature, the image transfigured into a split battleground, where an army of birds were on the left side of the field and the beasts were on the right. The past Silverwings further explained what happened next. "Alliances were formed and war was waged between the two great kingdoms: the birds and the beast."
On cue, the birds and the beasts begin to fight each other. Bears and cougars were roaring and snarling, while owls and other birds were screeching, setting everything everywhere into a fiery blaze.
As the war waged on, the flames of the battlefield slowly died down and a massive cloud of smoke cloaked the entire battle scene. Within minutes, the smoke cleared and then the scene changed into an animal gathering. It was a treaty meeting.
In the meeting, the bats were roosting underneath the edge of the cliff, while the beasts were all sitting on top. The birds were soaring in the air, except for one great horned owl who was perching on a stone in the very center of the meeting. "But we bats, being both, but neither, refused to join the battle." The past Silverwings explained what happened next at the meeting, "When the war finally ended the Great Treaty was forged."
Bringing the meeting to a close with a heart-struck declaration, the great horned owl raised his wings, and the bats were sent away to a dark isolated cave.
"Because we refused to take sides, the birds and the beasts banished us for all eternity to the darkness of the night." The past Silverwings finished and the flashback faded away.
"We were forbidden from ever glimpsing the sun again."
When the two young bats finally came out of their trance, Rachel's eyes shot open and she breathed heavily. Her forehead was sweating a little. She couldn't believe all she had just learned from that one historical echo. It was still a lot to process. 'All of this because the bats chose not to get involved in a thoughtless, unreasonable war!?' She thought to herself. 'The birds and the beasts have labeled the bats as traitors and cowards, and have insecurely and unfairly revoked their rights to see the sun! They've made us outcasts! It's an outrage! That is just unthinkable!'
Shade couldn't believe it either and then he turned to Frieda. "Is that how we got stuck with the law? Ugh! That is so unfair!" He frowned and formed his hands into fits of anger with a low growl. "I hate the owls."
His wise elder frowned and cautiously warned him, "You must learn to rule your anger and not let your anger rule over you. Only foolish deeds will come of that."
Rachel had to admit, Frieda's words of wisdom did make a valid point. "She's right, Shade. You cannot let pride and prejudice cloud your better judgement." she said, trying to reason with him. Then she turned to Frieda. "But Frieda, I also have to agree with Shade. Just because the bats chose not to fight in a meaningless war, doesn't mean that they shou-." But the conversation was cut short by the flapping sound of approaching wings. Rachel, Shade and Frieda looked up to see who it was. It was Mercury.
He flew down to their level with unpleasant news, "Pardon me, Frieda. Brutus, supreme commander of the owls has arrived." Rachel and Shade both quietly gasped with fear as they looked up at the entrance and the Goldwing mentally prayed, 'Oh Nocturna, please help us.'
Outside of Tree Haven, the Silverwings were all waiting for their elder. The great horned owl, General Brutus was also waiting patiently for Frieda and the two lawbreakers.
The owl general had brown and creamy white feathers, a white beard, and yellow eyes with brown pupils. He also had three orange stripes on his wings, representing his military rank and status.
Frieda had exited from the tree's entrance, followed by Shade and Rachel. The two young bats flew over to join their friends,Todd, Breeze, and Chinook, and landed between them.
Frieda, however, flew over to join her fellow elder councilors. She then landed beside Bathsheba to inform her of her arrival. "Bathsheba, I'm here now."
The short elder tried to convince her to let the owl general take the lawbreakers. "Frieda, I would-"
"Please," the elder leader interrupted before hopping towards the great horned owl. As she approached, she bowed her head in respect and said, "General Brutus, please accept my deepest apologies for keeping you waiting."
"Where are the lawbreakers?" the owl general asked as he grunted, wanting to get it over with.
"They're over there." Frieda pointed over to where Shade and Rachel were at as their friends flew away from them, leaving them in the open. Ariel, however, quickly flew over to the two teens and protectively held on to their shoulders.
General Brutus's eyes lit up, looking completely shocked and amazed to see that this unheard species - this Goldwing - standing before him, actually exists. He was even more surprised by the gold dust in her wings. 'It's not possible,' he thought in amazement.
The great horn owl then shook his head, snapping himself back to his senses. His facial expression returned to a proud, high-and-mighty, and stern frown. He turned to Frieda and said, "So this is the so-called 'Goldwing' I've heard about. I have been informed by my scouts about a bat with gold-dusted wings that was from the human city." he said in an impressive yet stern tone.
Frieda nodded. "Yes. Her name is Rachel and we've invited her to join our colony's migration."
"I see. But the law is the law, and she has overstayed her welcome here. Bring the boy and the Goldwing to me, so we can settle this." he commanded.
Rachel's eyes widened with fear as she held Shade's arm, squeezing it tight. She couldn't believe that the owl general is actually considering that she and her best friend be handed over to him and then executed; and all because they looked at the sun.
"No," Frieda refused with a defiant expression. Both Bathsheba and General Brutus were taken by surprise by her response. Even Rachel was taken by surprise.
"Do as I say!" he demanded.
"I will not!" she retorted.
"Frieda!" he warned in a strict tone. "Such a decision jeopardizes the balance of nature!"
Rachel looked at him dumbly and thought, 'Wait! Frieda just chose not to hand me and Shade over to you. How can her choice jeopardize the balance of nature?'
Frieda only sighed and shook her head. "Brutus, you and I have flown in this forest for far too long. You don't really believe that two young bats glimpsing the sun will upset the balance of nature, do you? Look into your heart." Using her right clawed index finger, she pointed to her chest at the very spot where her heart is.
Her words of wisdom and reasoning touched Rachel's heart. 'Frieda.' she thought with a warm smile on her face.
But the proud and ignorant General Brutus brushed off her words. The horned owl refused to listen to reason. He only gave Frieda stern look and growled, "I will not be manipulated. Emotions have no place in the execution of the law."
"My point, exactly." Bathsheba agreed with him. "The owls were well within their-"
"How can you think that?!" Rachel couldn't help but speak out, her eyes flared up with anger. Everyone turned towards the Goldwing with the look of fear and worry on their faces.
"Uh… Rachel?" Shade tried to get her to stop, and before he could, Rachel spread out her wings and flew over to the Silverwing elders and the owl general, who were all taken by surprise by her advance.
The young Goldwing teen confronted him more. "How could you possibly even think that emotions have no place when it comes to the law?! Just because the bats have their own opinions and chose not to take sides, doesn't mean that they should be revoked of their rights to see the sun. The Silverwings, along with all bats of the Northern forest deserve to be treated as equals. They deserve their freedom. They-"
"Silence, 'Goldwing'!" General Brutus bellowed, making the girl flinch. "I will hear no more of your weak pathetic ideas about bats having freedom. They've made their roost, and now they must lie in it. Just like their ancestors."
"So you're saying the Northern bats today should be punished as well, based on their ancestors' decision?" Rachel questioned with one raised eyebrow.
Brutus turned his head away with pride. "It's what's done."
"Just because 'what's' done, doesn't mean it's what should be done!" Rachel retorted. "You-"
"ENOUGH!" the general snapped. "I will hear no more of this."
"General Brutus," Frieda stepped into the argument to end anymore conflict, "with all due respect, as head of this colony, I stand firm on this. No Silverwings or Goldwings will be sacrificed for the sake of your unjust law!"
"UNJUST LAW?!" The great horned owl was livid, his feathers standing on end with fury. He flew down to Frieda and lowered his head to her level, giving her one last warning. "Give us the boy and the Goldwing." He hissed in her face.
"No!" Frieda defied him again, refusing to back down. "I have spoken."
Brutus glared at her with hate before a devious grin spread across his face. "Very well. Prepare to suffer the consequences!" He detached from the branch, took off into the air and then flew deeper into the forest, heading towards the humans's campsite.
With uncertainty of what General Brutus intended to do, the Silverwings began to chatter nervously. Rachel looked up at Frieda wondering if she knew what the horned owl would do.
"Frieda?" Rachel asked, unsure. But then she spotted something glowing in the distance. She scrunched her eyes a bit to get a better view. Her eyes widened with fear and she held her hands over her mouth with horror.
Following the Goldwing's gaze, Bathsheba's face shared the same terrified expression. She gasped, pointing out at the distance. "Look!"
General Brutus and an army of owls had returned to Tree Haven from the humans' campsite with lit firewood in their talons! They intended to burn down Tree Haven! Stricken with fear, Rachel and the Silverwings quickly flew into their hollow tree and tried to hide from the owls and their torches. The owls dropped the torches onto Tree Haven, causing the Silverwings' roosts to catch on fire. The Silverwings' screams filled the air as they took off flying for their lives.
In an attempt to save Tree Haven, Rachel grabbed a few dead leaves from the ground and hurried over to Shade and his mother. "Shade! Ariel! Here, use these to stop the smaller flames!" She panted as she passed a leaf to each of them.
Even though it wouldn't do any good, the three tried everything they could to put out the flames. But in the process of putting them out, Ariel gasped when she noticed a burning branch above Rachel breaking and was about to crush her.
"Rachel, look out!" She cried as she pushed the girl out of harm's way, only to get herself caught underneath the branch.
Rachel grunted as she fell hard on her back. When she turned to her side groaning in pain, her eyes widened with horror and gasped to see Ariel in peril. "ARIEL!" she cried out as she rushed over to try to free her from underneath the branch.
Shade saw his mother in danger. "NO!" he screamed in horror, and rushed over to help save his mother. He grabbed the branch and tried to lift it off of her with every effort, but he wasn't strong enough. "Mom!" He groaned and struggled to get her out, while Rachel tried to pull with all her might to no avail.
"Help!" Shade cried out to the other Silverwings. "Help! Somebody help us!"
"Somebody! Please!" Rachel cried out as well, but all the other Silverwings were too busy screaming, trying to get away from the fire. All except for one… Chinook!
Hearing Shade and Rachel's cries, Chinook hurriedly flew down to aid them.
"Chinook!" Shade exclaimed in astonishment. Even Rachel was relieved to see him.
He landed next to Shade and grabbed the branch. "You need some muscle runt. Let me in there!" Both of them grunted as they used their combined strength to lift the branch. When the branch was high enough, Rachel managed to pull Ariel out from underneath. Once she was out, the boys dropped the branch and breathed heavily from their exhausting struggle.
Shade turned to Chinook with a grateful smile and placed a hand on his arm. "Thanks Chinook." He thanked him, still breathing heavily. "I owe you one."
Chinook sighed and motioned towards the tree and the scattering bats above them. "Look around. It's not just me you owe." He opened his wings and flew off to find his mother and his friends.
As Chinook took off, both Shade and Rachel knew what he meant… and they knew he was right. Rachel wrapped her arm around Ariel, while the adult rubbed her left wing in pain. Rachel looked at her in worry, "Ariel, how's your wing? Are you-"
"I'm alright sweetie." Ariel reassured her, while Shade flew over to them. Then the mother escorted her son and the Goldwing away from the burning tree.
Seeing Tree Haven Being engulfed in flames, Frieda had to get her colony to safety. "SILVERWINGS, RETREAT!" she cried out to her panicking colony, "WE MUST ALL RETREAT NOW!" She extended her left wing, directing all of the Silverwings to fly into the forest to take refuge. Thankfully, all the Silverwings made it and no one was seriously injured.
Rachel, Shade and Ariel landed safely on a nearby branch in the forest, but at the moment they landed, Ariel softly groaned in pain and stumbled against the bark of the tree, nearly losing consciousness.
"Ariel!" Rachel exclaimed with worry and alarm.
"Mom! Can you fly?" Shade asked as he held her up.
"Don't worry about me." Ariel soothed the teens, "I'm okay. Save Tree Haven."
Shade only lowered his head in sadness, as he felt completely hopeless. "It's too late."
"He's right. Look." Rachel softly said with regret, while she wrapped herself in her wing in despair and turned her gaze towards the great hollow tree as it continued to be engulfed by the flames.
The Silverwings all watched as their beloved Tree Haven… their roost… their home, slowly turned to ashes. Parts of the tree that were sticking further out from the edge of the cliff, fell into the water below. Everything they had was gone. Lost forever within the flames of unjust cruelty and blind hatred.
From a distance, Rachel turned her head towards Shade and his mother with sorrow, until they caught a glimpse of General Brutus perching on a high tree branch in the distance. They could see a vile triumphant expression on his face as he made a soft but cruel chuckle.
Spreading out his wings, the owl general announced in triumph "JUSTICES HAS BEEN SERVED!", and he soared out into the forest with his owl soldiers. Shade clenched his fists with anger and hate, wishing he was big enough to avenge this day and rip Brutus apart, limb from limb.
Rachel scowled by what the owl just said. 'Justice?' she thought, her eyebrows furrowed down with anger. 'Justice!? Destroying Tree Haven wasn't an act of justice… It was an act of vengeance! There was no goodness or justice in there at all!'
Her attention was then drawn back to Tree Haven, still smoldering by the massive flames. The young Goldwing's scowl faded as it slowly turned into despair, and heart-breaking tears began swelling up in her eyes with only one thought in her mind… 'What have I done?'
Goldwing16's Note(s):
FUN FACT(S):
1. When Rachel was in the Echo Chamber (when you think about it), she was like Moana discovering her ancestors were voyagers. But when Rachel recently learned about the Great Treaty, she was disappointed by how the birds and the beasts reacted towards the bats' decision.
2. When General Brutus was first informed by one of his scouts about Rachel, he denied that very fact, believing that Goldwings were just made up. But when he saw Rachel, he was amazed to see an actual Goldwing for the first time, but he was too proud of himself and put the law first.
3. I used Cinderella's famous quote from the 2015 live-action film as a reference in this chapter, and I thought it would fit perfectly.
4. In the Silverwing book and tv series, when General Brutus and the owls burn down Tree Haven, you have to wonder where they got the fire wood, right? So, I am glad that I added a human's campsite in this fanfic. Pretty clever, right? (But it still breaks my heart that Tree Haven was unfairly destroyed.)
So what ya think? Pretty good so far, right?
Stay tuned for Chapter 11!